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Liverpool boss Slot backs Salah to come through goal drought
Arne Slot has backed Mohamed Salah to come through his recent goal drought for Liverpool.
Salah has failed to score for Liverpool in nine Premier League games, his longest run without a goal since joining the Reds in 2017.
The Egyptian’s performances have been heavily scrutinised this season, following a decline from last season’s PFA Player of the Year standards.
Ahead of facing West Ham this weekend, Slot said Salah is a victim of his own standards and insisted he is not the only Liverpool forward struggling for goals at present.
“He has set his own standards and they are so, so, so high that the moment he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised, so that is the big compliment he can get,” the Dutchman told the media on Friday.
“For me it was only three games ago he had an assist and a goal against a Premier League side, Brighton, a very good team, in the FA Cup. So that is the reality. You can change data and say it’s no goal in nine league games and that is the standard he set.
“We are used to [Salah] scoring a lot of goals – I think that’s the biggest difference in his performances right now.
“But we also know, even in my time, it has happened. I’ve had questions about Mo not scoring for three or four games but I know he always scores again in the end. That’s the challenge he and we have at the moment.
“He is not our only attacker who doesn’t score as much as we are used to. It is not that the focus should be all on him, Hugo [Ekitike] and Cody [Gakpo] haven’t scored that many goals recently as well, so it is a team thing. But we keep clean sheets, so we don’t need to score as many.”
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Key factor in Antoine Griezmann decision revealed – Deal for Atletico Madrid star ‘95% done’
Atletico Madrid fans have watched on in disbelief this week, as the story of Antoine Griezmann’s seemingly imminent departure from the club develops. It seems the French icon is closer to leaving the club than remaining, despite having the chance to leave this summer in the Copa del Rey in his hands.
Earlier this week it was reported that Griezmann was in advanced talks with Orlando City, but that the Major League Soccer side were keen for him to join before the March 26th transfer deadline in the USA. Reports in Spain have claimed that Griezmann is closer to leaving than staying at Atletico, and it has been noted that the 34-year-old did not imagine playing as much as he is this season, or as well.
Griezmann to Orlando City deal ‘95% done’
The information emerging from the Spanish capital has been backed up by a report in France from L’Equipe. While Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone are in favour of Griezmann staying until the end of the season, the French outlet report that a move to the USA is ‘95% done’. It is not clear if Atletico will demand a fee for Griezmann, who is under contract until 2027, but the general consensus has been from Simeone at least that he has earned the right to decide his future.
Image via Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Why it matters if Griezmann goes now or in the summer
The confusion has been around the fact that Griezmann could leave now rather than in the summer. Alonso El Inca of ASN has told Cadena SER that if Griezmann does not make the move now, he may miss out on the chance to be a franchise player, which would allow him to earn as much as €20m. On the other hand if he were to make the move in the summer, there is no guarantee the offer from Orlando would be on the table at all, but it would almost certainly reduce his earning potential.
Certainly it would be a major loss for Atletico in the final third of the season if Griezmann does depart – he has contributed 12 goals to the cause and returned to his level as one of their best players in recent months.
Ruben Amorim dismissal could cost Manchester United £16m
Manchester United’s official accounts have confirmed that the decision to sack Ruben Amorim could cost the club £16m.
Amorim was dismissed in January after only 14 months in charge at Old Trafford. The Portuguese coach struggled to make an impact in the Premier League, with the Red Devils ending the 2024-25 campaign 15th in the table, the club’s lowest league finish since 1974.
Amorim also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and was sacked earlier this year after an underwhelming start to his second season.
Manchester United release their financial figures for the six-month period until December 31st 2025 this week, where the club made a profit of £32.6m.
However, included on the filing to the New York Stock Exchange is an “event that occurred after the reporting period”. In the report, a provision of £15.9m has been made, representing the maximum potential pay-off to Amorim and his coaching staff.
Manchester United are yet to name a new permanent manager, with Michael Carrick in interim charge until the end of the campaign. Carrick has impressed in the role, winning five of his six Premier League games, drawing the other.
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